We pledged that you'd not be burdened with any more Tiger here, but we must break that vow to bring you Winners and losers from Friday's non-event at Sawgrass.

Winner No. 1: Tiger Woods, who once again proved that he can attract all the attention he wants even if he doesn't do much of anything.

Loser No. 1: Tiger Woods, who had a chance to show some humility and blew it with a sanctimonious, overly-rehearsed semi-apology.

Winner No. 2: The Golf Writers Association of America, which refused to sanction the non-event because they were being used.

Loser No. 2: The Golf Writers Association of America members who packed the Sawgrass Marriott to "cover" a TV show. (Present company included.)

Winner No. 3: The Sawgrass Marriott and the TPC clubhouse staffs for their agility to produce maximum security almost overnight. (Exactly why so much security was needed is a question for another day.)

Loser No. 3: Barack Obama, who prides himself as being the main media man. He isn't; Tiger is. As Ch. 4 cameraman Matt Kingston said, "You think TV stations from Tampa and West Palm Beach would be here for Obama?"

Winner No. 4: The PGA Tour staff for handling a sticky situation with class and efficiency. They didn't need this dumped on them, but they worked with smiles. Maybe it was a good rehearsal for The Players.

Loser No. 4: The PGA Tour brass that decided to go along with all this. Woods could have made the same statement from his home in Orlando but, very obviously, wanted to show the world that he could push people around and get his way. Letting him use the clubhouse answered the obvious question: was he using the Tour?

Winner No. 5: The PGA Tour players (Ernie Els is leading the way) who have decided that the Tour will go on without Woods, and have had enough of his being the big shot.

Loser No. 5: IMG, which handles Woods. This is the granddaddy of management companies, founded by Mark McCormack on the wings of his first big client his client, Arnold Palmer, and now it appears to have decided that it is above any and all. McCormack was a friendly, high-class person who would be embarrassed by his baby's arrogance and ineptitude.

Okay, we'll go back to the Tiger-free zone.

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Check out the adjoining stories of the Jacksonville Area GA's opening events.

Good tournaments and a reasonable price.

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The local pros needed to beat the amateurs in the annual Underwood Cup matches and they did it with ease.

When the matches started 19 years ago, the pros had it easy. But then things changed for PGA prods - general managers and owners took control of clubs, cut costs and expected their hired help to be in the shop rather than on the course.

Thus, the pros didn't get to play as much, as the amateurs caught up.

The amateurs had won five straight until this week and the pros took advantage of an inexperienced opponent to score a 15-9 victory.

Good for them. They still don't get to play as much, and they still will be the underdog next year, but they showed that men on a mission can still prevail.

- Fred Seely is editor of Golf News.